Visions of the future
by LightsAmongTheStars
Summary: Ida is haunted by visions, dreams of two men fighting side by side against a horrific creature. She awakens every morning terrified of what the day will bring. When she speaks of these dreams to the druids, they instruct her to travel to Camelot to find the man named Emrys. FUTURE MERLIN/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters**

The woman was haunted with nightmares, visions of many possible futures. All centred around two men, one with hair as black as a ravens and deep green eyes that looked as if they could see straight in to the depths of your soul. The other tall and broad, with, light blonde hair and sparkling baby blue eyes.

Her dreams were filled with blood and fire, men were fighting a horrific beast and the air was filled with the scent of death. Occasionally she saw a magnificent castle rising between great mountains and forests, its walls painted a pristine white. She had never set foot there, of that she was certain, but it somehow seemed familiar. As if she was seeing it through someone else's eyes.

She watched as the creature dived at the two men, who were running alongside the wall of the castle, completely open to attack, and just as it was about to strike, she gasped awake, her eyes glowing gold, desperately trying to catch her breath.

It always seemed to end there; it was as if there was some sort of invisible block, a barrier preventing her from seeing the outcome of the battle.

She turned to look out of the window, watching the first sliver of orange creep through the sky. Sleep was futile now. The dream would only come back.


	2. Chapter 2 Only Time Will Tell

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida sighed as she sat in the cool shade of the Druid elder's tent. They were muttering to each other under their breath, and occasionally stealing glances at her when they thought that she wasn't looking. It was maddening, she hated it when they did that, speaking as if she was in the room, and it was almost as bad as when they always talked in riddles.

She had come to them this morning to tell them of her dreams. She had been surprised when they had taken them seriously. She had anticipated only to be prescribed a sleeping draught, and sent on her way, but instead, the elders had been in deep conference all morning.

One of the elders eventually stood up. She spoke in a tone that commanded authority. "Child, what you have seen has greatly troubled us. Your visions foretell a time of great peril and darkness. We have debated greatly about what must be done. We believe the man in your dream to be Emrys. He is a great Warlock that resides in Camelot, secretly protecting the prince. He has sought us out a few times asking for our advice and leadership. We have come to the decision that we will send you to Camelot, where he resides. Once there you must tell him of your dream. Warn him of the times ahead."

She paused for a moment and seemed to be considering something. With a small glance at her fellow elders she spoke again. "You are it seemed, a powerful enchantress. Your power as a seer also appears to be blossoming. When you arrive in Camelot, you may, if you should so choose, stay and help Emrys achieve his destiny. We foresee that you play a large part in the events to come"

Ida was shocked. There were at least a hundred questions that she felt that she need to ask but she seemed to be momentarily speechless. The druid elder bowed her head at Ida in obvious dismissal and she turned on her heel and hurried out.

Once outside she leaned back against the refreshingly cool wall of the tent. She was in shock, how could her dreams have any effect on the destiny of so many. She had been told since she was a child that she had seer blood, but she had given up seeing anything of consequence years ago. As for staying in Camelot, well she wasn't quite sure how to react to that particular detail. She had never been away from the druid camp for more than two months before. It was all she could remember. But there had always felt like there was something missing. She had never had friends, or people who she felt truly cared about her and knew her for who she was. A part of her hoped that maybe she could find that in Camelot. Only time would tell.


	3. Chapter 3 Uneasy Thoughts

Ida walked down the long, dusty road. She didn't look back. She knew that there wouldn't be any one seeing her off. Many would probably be glad to see the back of her. There was probably another Druid moving in to her tent right at this very moment. It was an odd thought. She had never really fit in at the Druid camp, but it was all she had ever known. She had grown up there. No-one knew who her parents were, she had just been found in the forest by one of the Druid elders eighteen years ago.

The sun slowly begun to sink behind the clouds, her feet ached and her eyelids drooped with tiredness. She had been walking all day and she had hardly stopped, not for more than a few minutes anyway. She needed to rest, but she daren't sleep by the road side. She could camp when she got in to the forests and maybe even in the mountains. Now she would have to find an inn. It was too open here; the risk of bandits was too great. There was nothing in sight with the exception of a few trees and so she resigned herself to keep walking.

Eventually she came upon a small inn, run by a stout smiling woman and her husband. They readily invited her to join them for dinner and offered her a bed for the night. It was a simple sort of place, but it was warm and comforting.

As they ate their dinner of freshly cut ham and homemade bread they kept up a pleasant conversation. But soon the talk turned to darker topics. The farmer said that the locals had recently been haunted by a terrible creature, a monster. It had been taking cattle and one farm lad was said to have been mauled to death. Ida shivered, for some reason it reminded her of the creature that haunted her dreams. She soon dismissed it as silly though. It couldn't be here, it was impossible. But still, her unease stayed with her for the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4 Run

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida set of at first light the next morning. The day was bright and crisp and she was in good spirits. The landscape was slowly becoming hillier and more mountainous and everything seemed to be greener, fresher.

At about midday she stopped for a break. She had some leftovers from the previous night and sat down in a small clearing. As she ate she admired the wildflowers that littered the clearing. They were of all colours pink, blue, orange, red, bright and beautiful.

She stiffened as she heard a branch creek behind her. She spun her head around but saw nothing. She sighed, thinking that she had imagined it. Just as she was beginning to relax again she heard it again, closer this time and a little louder. She froze as she suddenly felt warm breath on the back of her neck. Her mind was telling her to run, but her legs were frozen. She didn't know how long sat there frozen but suddenly a loud growl broke her reverie and she scrambled to her feet, stumbling forwards. She turned her head and saw nothing, but she could still feel warm, hot breath on the back of her neck.

She began running as fast as she could. Still she could see nothing but she could hear it. Deep, loud growls erupted behind her and she could see the undergrowth being trampled behind her, the pretty flowers that she was watching earlier crushed.

She twisted and turned through the trees desperately trying to lose it. At one point she felt a sharp pain in her elbow and when she allowed herself a moment to look down at it she saw there was a deep gash in her arm raw and bleeding, but she kept on running despite the pain. She saw a break in the trees up ahead and ran towards it. She ran through it on to the road and doubled over gasping. She spun around to face the trees breathing heavily.

She could tell that whatever was chasing her hadn't followed her on to the road, but she could still feel it watching her. It was almost as if it was waiting for her to enter the woods. She was safe for now.

It was now that she became aware of the sharp pain in her arm. She looked down at the wound; it was puffy and swollen and there was bruising all the way around it. She touched it gently and then she hissed in pain. Every time she touched it, searing pain shot down her arm like flames. It was times like this that she really regretted not ever learning to heal much beyond a simple sprain or cut. She reached down and ripped a strip of her tunic off from the place where it had snagged on the branch. Taking the strip of fabric in her hand she wrapped it tightly around her wound, attempting to stem the blood flow. It didn't work very well though and the cloth was soon stained crimson. Even a basic healing spell would have been better than this

She decided to give up on it. It prevented most of the blood flow and it was the best that she was going to be able to do. She looked around at her surroundings properly for the first time.

She was on a small dirt track. On one side of it was the forest, dark and foreboding. On the other were fields, spanning for miles and miles. Great green plains of grass. To her relief she could see a few farmhouses dotted across them. She stumbled forward towards the nearest one. She ran up to the door and started beating on it frantically with her fists.


	5. Chapter 5 A missing Link

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida sighed as she started walking again. The pain in her arm had now been reduced to a dull ache and she had fresh bandages, proper bandages this time, wrapped around it. She glanced at the woods that stretched for miles on one side of the road. She wasn't going near them again, not before she reached Camelot. She still had that uneasy feeling of being watched. What terrified her most was that she couldn't see whatever it was that had tried to kill her. How can you fight something that you can't see?

She had spent the night in a small farmhouse. Among those living there had been a physician. He had treated her arm and some of the small cuts that littered her legs from where the branches had cut her when she was running. She had also been given a new dress when she was there. It was a little big for her, but it was a better alternative than the torn and fraying one that she had been wearing. The people there had been kind to her. They had heard of a beast in the woods. No one had ever been hurt before but they had heard noises, howls in the night and a few livestock had gone missing.

She hadn't slept at all last night. She kept half expecting to hear howls, or to wake up to find whatever it was in her room. It felt almost as if it was following her, whatever it was. She knew it was crazy but she couldn't get it out of her mind. It seemed to be haunting her. Yesterday when she had stopped at the inn, they had said that they had been talk of something attacking people, the farm lad and her dreams, dreams of a beast. Admittedly in her dreams she had been able to see it. It frustrated her almost as much as it scared her. It was as if she was missing something. Something big that connected everything.

She had been astonished to find that whilst she had been running she had managed to cross the border line from Escetia in to Camelot. She had expected for it to take at least another day to get to where she was at the moment. The thought also terrified her. She hadn't used her magic at all since she had left the Druid Camp. She had always preferred to do things by hand. Nonetheless she had never been anywhere where she couldn't use it if she needed to. Or if she wanted to make a few of her chores just a tiny bit easier. She couldn't help but wonder what the druid elders had been thinking sending her here, to a place where she could be executed in an instant if anybody found out about her practicing magic. Heck what was she thinking for even considering staying? She steeled her nerves. If this Emrys could manage to stay in Camelot without getting caught, she was sure that she could do it.


	6. Chapter 6 Camelot

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida stared up at the sight in front of her. Camelot was more impressive than she could have ever imagined. Better then she had been told, much better than the small glances of it in her dreams. Pristine white walls stretched for miles. Inside the city gates everyone was busy, going about their business. Everything was a flurry of new sights, sounds, smells. It looked as if it were market day. Stalls were set up throughout the square.

It was an amazing site. Everything was full of colour and light. The trouble was she didn't know where to start. It was only now that she realised that the Druid elders had literally told her nothing about Emrys. She had absolutely no idea of who she was looking for. She didn't know where to start.

She thought of going and trying to ask someone if they knew of anyone called Emrys, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. The druids hadn't told her much but she had been told that Emrys wasn't his real name. It wouldn't be a good idea to go around spouting about an all-powerful druid who was the centre figure of a prophecy.

The reality of her situation came crashing down on her. She was alone, in a strange place, she knew no one here, and had almost no possessions and she was searching for a man who she didn't even know what his name was.

She paused and took a deep breath, calming herself. She needed a way to attract the attention of Emrys, but no one else. She sat down tiredly on a wall and sighed.

She didn't know how long she had sat there but suddenly an idea came in to her head. It was so obvious that she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it before. At the druid camp if anyone was in danger, or needed help they could call out in their minds. She didn't know if it would work though. She hadn't done it in a long time and she had never tried it with a complete stranger, but it was all she had at the moment.

She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. _Emrys, Emrys._ There was nothing no one even gave a sign that they had heard her. She shut her eyes again_ E_mrys, _Emrys, help me, I need to find you, Emrys? _She opened her eyes just in time to see the head of a young man shoot up and stare straight at her in confusion.


	7. Chapter 7 A story and a meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

The man had dark raven black hair and piercing deep blue eyes. He was staring straight at her with a mix of curiosity and alarm. Which given the situation was understandable.

"_Who are you? What do you want? How do you know about Emrys?"_ he thought.

"_I can't speak here, can we go somewhere private_." She whispered back.

He studied her carefully unsure if he could trust her. After a moment he turned and walked away. _"Follow Me."_ whispered through the link.

She walked after him slowly. He wasn't exactly what she had expected. She had thought that he would be an old man. Silver haired and old, with a long beard. But this man couldn't be further from that picture she had built in her head of what Emrys would look like. This man couldn't be older than 20 and he defiantly didn't have a beard.

They stopped in a small cosy looking room full of books and odd looking substances. He turned to back to her stared at her curiously.

Suddenly she couldn't think of what to say. She had been waiting to meet him since she had left the Druid camp, but now she didn't know where to start. There was such a lot that he needed to know.

"Who are you, how do you know my Druid name?" She could understand him being worried about that one. In a place where even the whisper of the word magic could mean death a random stranger suddenly turning up who knew what you were was most likely really bad news.

She sighed, "Look, I'm guessing you have a lot of questions and I will try to answer all of them if you give me a moment, but it's a long story and I would rather not be interrupted so can you trust me for just half an hour or so and let me speak. He paused and seemed to think for a moment before nodding slowly. He still didn't trust her, that much was plainly obvious, but it was a start.

She took a deep breath and began her story.

(***)

"And then I came here. But I hadn't got a clue as to where to look for you. So I tried to contact you using the mind thing and well, I guess it worked." She waved her hand absentmindedly in his direction. She had just finished telling him everything. It had taken the best part of half an hour but finally everything was out in the open.

He didn't say anything for a moment. Trying to digest what she had just told him. "So you're a seer? A seer who's been dreaming of the future, a future that sounds really depressing, and I'm in it."

She smiled awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders "yeah that pretty much covers it."

"Are you going to stay in Camelot?" There was a small amount of hope in his voice along with another emotion that she couldn't place.

"I don't know. If I'm needed here I suppose I could. It seems a nice enough place. I would have to find work through and, well no one would employ someone like me. I don't exactly have many references."

He grinned awkwardly at her. "We'll if you do want to stay I could ask Gaius, the court physician, if he could take you. He's my mentor of sorts and he's looking for a new assistant. I'm useless. I could introduce you."

Ida thought about it for a moment. If she could get employed by this Gaius and find somewhere to stay then she would be ok here, maybe.

Emrys seemed to sense her discomfort. "I would really like you to stay." He prompted. "You seem really nice and it would be great to talk to someone about magic and stuff. You could help me protect Arthur." For the first time she could sense a deep loneliness underneath the stupid grin. That made up her mind.

"I'll stay! Can I just ask though, I mean Emrys can't be your real name?"

His eyes met hers and a spark seemed to pass between them. "Merlin, my names Merlin."


	8. Chapter 8 Sticking Around

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida looked around at her new home. It was a small house with only two rooms. It wasn't very homely at the moment, the whole place was covered in a layer of dust and there were only a few bits of furniture lying around. She had a decent place to cook in though and in the second room, a tiny box room there was a small bed. It was basic but it had the potential to become comfortable enough. She was going to go out the next day and get a few supplies. She didn't have much, but the druid elders had given her a little bit of money to sort herself out.

Merlin as she now knew him to be called had taken her to meet Gaius, the court physician. She liked him and hoped that they would grow to be firm friends. He was a kindly man, if a little grumpy. After meeting her and hearing what she told Merlin he immediately offered her the job. He even agreed to keep her secret.

She had learned that Merlin was the Prince Arthurs personal manservant. That part still amazed her. Who would have thought that someone that close to the prince, a prince who might as well be king, what with his father in a state of madness after morganas attack months back, a prince who was thought to despise magic just as his father did had magic. How Merlin had got away with that one for years she wasn't sure. She liked Merlin. He wasn't what she had expected Emrys to be like at all. They had bonded immediately, there was something about him. Something that she couldn't put her finger on, he had a feeling of raw power under his facade of stupidity. And it was a façade, she may have not known him for long but she could tell that much. He intrigued her and when he touched her hand, it was as if a spark had passed between them.

She heard a knock on her door and turned around to see the object of her thoughts entering the room. He was carrying a cosy looking red woollen blanket.

"I thought you might be cold in here." He handed her a blanket. "This along with a few heating spells and you'll be toasty." She smiled at him He had been really kind to her, looking after her, finding her somewhere that she could live.

"Thanks." She replied. She pointed her hand at a space just above the bed and whispered _calor_ her eyes glowed gold and the temperature in the room rose. She smiled in satisfaction. She turned back to Merlin to find him staring at her with something akin to awe. "What?" she asked.

He snapped his eyes back to hers and seemed to shake himself. "Nothing, I just, I've never really been around other people who can do magic for more than a few days at a time. It will take a while to get used to.

She looked up at him and grinned cheekily. "Well hopefully you'll have plenty of time to get used to it, because I plan on sticking around."

He smiled back at her meeting her eyes. "I think I might just like that Ida."

She laughed and sat down on the bed. "So Merlin, what's life like around here? How do you enjoy working for his royal Highness?"

"Prince Prattiness you mean." He laughed with her. "No it's good, there are nice people here, and the knights are good blokes. I have a lot of chores what with being Arthur's personal manservant and all but he treats me alright. We're friends; at least I like to think we are. Not that he will ever admit it though." He glanced at her. "What about you, do you think that you'll like it here?"

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, you know what Merlin, I think that I will. Like I said, I plan on sticking around."


	9. Chapter 9 Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida had been in Camelot three weeks. Her small home was looking a lot better and she enjoyed her work for Gaius, although she hated cleaning out the leach tank. How something so disgusting could help with healing was still beyond her. The only thing she disliked slightly about her work was the long hours. She would often wake to someone knocking on her door in the middle of the night with a message saying that Gaius needed her assistance, but she soon got used to those.

Merlin had been great. He had really helped her settle in. She was often invited to eat dinner with him and Gaius. They often talked long in to the night about magic and spells. She could tell that it helped him to be able to talk to someone other than Gaius. She couldn't imagine how lonely he must feel a times. He had begun to tell her of some of the things that he had done to save Camelot. It was amazing that he had been through so much and had survived to tell the tale. That wasn't to say that they hadn't affected him though. There were cracks in his well-constructed mask that told of the pain and suffering he had witnessed. He also told her some funny tales about hunting trips where he had scared off all of the animals and his awful sword and mace work. It was lucky he had magic to protect him or he would probably been dead long ago.

She had not met the prince yet, but she had observed him from afar. The moment that she had laid eyes on him she had realised that he was the man with merlin in her dream. From what she had seen he was a good man, loved by his people. He was a little arrogant, although she supposed that came with being a prince. She had decided to reserve judgement of him for now, as it would be unfair to judge him when she didn't know him. But both Gaius and Merlin spoke very highly of him, despite Merlin's almost constant joking insults.

She had met sir Lancelot (who also knew about merlin and now her magic,) and sir Elyan. They were Knights of the Round Table and often came in with training accidents. She worried for Merlin when she saw the wounds. They weren't exactly horrific and she knew that she had his magic to protect him and help him heal a little faster but he still went on almost all the same quests as the knights and he still had to train with the prince, but he couldn't physically fight very well.

She supposed that it wasn't her place to worry. He had managed to survive this long after all, but there was just something in her that was concerned for him. He used magic so openly in front of the Pendragons and had been convicted of sorcery before, although even if she used sorcery in front of the Prince she thought that there was a good chance that he would free merlin. Whatever her opinion was of him, or his on magic, those boys had a bond like no other she had seen before. They were best friends; brothers although neither would ever openly admit it.

At the moment she was walking through one of the many fields just outside Camelot's gates picking herbs for Gaius. She loved picking herbs, well not necessarily the picking herbs part of the job, but being allowed to be out on a lovely day among all the flowers and countryside, it was beautiful. It reminded her of the Druid camp in a way, it comforted her. She no longer thought of the druid camp as home, that was Camelot now, but she still felt a certain fondness of the place where she had grown up. It felt liberating to be outside Camelot. She already loved the place dearly, but sometimes she longed to just be able to run free and get away from its tall walls and towers.

Her dreams still haunted her. She found the fact that she now knew who the men who were being attacked were comforting, but it also scared her. Her being in Camelot and seeing the place for herself, meeting everything made her dream seem more real. It almost felt as If the pieces of the future were slotting in to place. She just wished that she could see an outcome, just to know if Merlin and Gaius and just the whole of Camelot in general survived the beasts attack. Somehow though, unfortunately, she doubted that it would be that simple.

She let out a small yelp as she collided with someone, her basket of herbs falling to the ground. She looked up and saw a pretty, dark-skinned young woman with a bunch of flowers in her hand. "I'm sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going. I was a bit lost in thought." She blushed bright red and bent down to begin to gather the herbs that had fallen from her basket.

The women smiled back at her. "It doesn't matter, I am just as bad sometimes" She bent down to help Ida pick up the herbs and Ida smiled in thanks. "I'm Gwen by the way. I don't think I've seen you around Camelot before, are you new?"

Ida shrugged awkwardly. She was a little bit awkward talking to strangers about her life before Camelot. She never knew just how much or how little she should give away. That was another reason why she was wary of getting too close to anyone who didn't know about her magic, there was always a chance that they could find out something and then both herself and them would have the threat of the pyre hanging over them. She couldn't allow that to happen. She would feel so guilty if, in being found out she brought other people down with her. She and Merlin had agreed on a story in case anyone asked where she had come from but it was the small details that were a problem. "My names Ida, I came to live here a couple of weeks ago. An old family friend lives here, and I came to be closer to him." She gestured to the herbs. "I'm working as my friend's mentors assistant, he's the court physician."

The women, Gwen as she was now known glanced up at her in surprise. "You know Merlin?"

Ida frowned wandering how she had made the connection so quickly. Suddenly it all clicked in to place. She remembered that in the story's Merlin had told her a few of them involved a good friend of his called Gwen. He had often expressed concern over the fact that she seemed to be so lonely sometimes. With her brother being a knight, but her, a former servant and the Princes love interest, she was almost between ranks. Not quite considered a lady by the noblewomen, but no longer a servant either. She had at the time felt rather sorry for the women. She smiled at the women all the pieces clicking in to place. "You're Gwen, Prince Arthurs Gwen, Sir Elyan's sister Gwen? I'm sorry I didn't realise. Merlin has told me lots about you." She stood up dusting herself off and picking up her basket as she and Gwen began to walk back towards Camelot talking.

When they got to the city gates Gwen turned to Ida. "It's been nice meeting you Ida. It's been good talking to someone other than Arthur, Merlin, Gaius or the knights who doesn't judge me. You remind me of Merlin in a way, there's just something about you that reminds me of him."

Ida shifted uncomfortably. She assumed Gwen was talking about her magic, although she didn't know it. A person who had magic gave off a slightly different aura to everyone else.

Gwen shook her head and smiled. "Anyway I should go but I hope we can be friends. It would be nice to have a woman to talk to."

Ida smiled. "Yeah, I'd like to be your friend Gwen."


	10. Chapter 10 Videri

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Prince Arthur was currently holding his court in session. A farmer had come from a small town on the outskirts of Camelot reporting that people had been found mauled to death but no one had seen there assailant. One man had miraculously survived despite his extensive injury's and reported that the attack had come out of nowhere. They couldn't see anything; they didn't hear anything until it was on them. The only sign that anything had happened was the disturbance in the undergrowth. Ida, Merlin and Gaius had all been on the lookout for any strange occurrence's that could be linked to the creature of her dreams. She almost hoped that her dream wasn't real, that it was just a nightmare, but unfortunately that theory, well more like a vain hope, had just been shot out of the window.

The Prince seemed to be debating what to do. "Leon takes a patrol of knights and go out in to the woods where the men were killed. I want you to try and track whatever it is that has done this." He glanced at the rest of the court. "Everyone is dismissed, Gaius can you stay behind a moment?" the court immediately began to empty. "Gaius, have you ever seen anything like this before?"

Gaius glanced behind him at Ida and held her gaze for a few moments. He seemed to be asking her with his eyes how much he could tell Arthur. She nodded almost imperceptibly; she knew that Gaius would never betray her. "I have never heard of this beast before a few weeks ago." He gestured to Ida. "But my assistant was attacked by something on her way to Camelot, she was near the border. She told me much the same as the farmer just told you." It wasn't the entire truth but it was the most that he could tell him without revealing her secret.

The Prince looked sharply at Ida. "You were attacked in Camelot and you didn't report it. This could have been prevented if you had reported it earlier." His tone was angry.

Ida felt a need to defend herself. She couldn't exactly have come to him and told him that she had been followed by a seemingly magical beast from the druid camp where she had grown up. She would be on a pyre in seconds. She curtsied, partially to give her time to figure out what she was going to say and partially to dissipate the prince's anger just a little by showing proper respect. "Sire, there were plenty of people where I was attacked that had heard of, or even been attacked by the beast. I assumed that they would have reported It to you. If i thought for one moment that you didn't know of the attacks then I would have reported it to you immediately." It was an awfully lie, and she was well aware that she sounded like a bootlicker but she just had to pray that the prince would believe her.

Prince Arthur studied her for a moment, seemingly studying her face for any trace that she was deceiving him. Eventually he nodded and turned to Merlin. "Very well, Merlin, saddle my horses and alert the knights. This seems to be more serious than it first appeared to be. I will go with the patrols."

Ida frowned to herself feeling the need to interrupt. She couldn't let them go alone, she just had a bad feeling about the whole thing and she didn't want them to walk straight in to a trap. At least she could try to get them to the right place in the forest without disturbing anything else, and it wasn't as if defending herself was a problem. She knew that the prince was unlikely to agree as it was rare that commoners would go on quests but she had to try. "With all due respect sire, maybe I could go with the patrol." Seeing the Princes eyes widen she hurried on. "I mean I am the only one who could take you to the exact place that I first saw the beast. I think that it may have made its home near the spot I was first attacked, there were some caves near there that any creature would try to take shelter in."

The prince frowned seeming to consider it. Finally after much internal debating, he let out a sigh of what sounded like resignation and to her surprise he said. "Merlin, saddle an extra horse for Ida." He turned back to Ida. "We leave at dawn."

(***)

Merlin, Ida and Gaius were all sitting around a table in Gaius's chambers. He had given them both countless medical supplies, he seemed to be anticipating that more people would get hurt or killed by the beast before they could find it. He turned to them, a grave expression on his face. "Ida, Merlin, I have grave news. I have been doing some research since Ida came to Camelot; I have been trying to find out what this thing is. I didn't have enough information on it with just Ida's description of it but now with all the additional evidence I believe that there is only one thing that it can be. A Videri. They are creatures of myth and haven't been seen in Camelot for over a hundred years. Last time one was here it is said to have caused great peril. It can only be seen when you look through something. For instance if you looked through a waterfall then you would see it through the water." He turned to Ida. "I believe that you can see it through your dreams because you are not directly looking through it. It is a dangerous creature, if provoked it can attack anything that moves. Merlin and Ida lanced at each other both of them worried. Gaius silently got up and left sensing that they needed a bit of privacy.

Merlin took Ida's hand, sensing that something was troubling her and that she needed comfort. "What is it?"

Ida looked up at him and gazed deep in to his eyes. "I'm scared. I need to know if everything is going to be alright. I couldn't bear to lose you, not now. You and Gaius are the only people who have ever truly understood me it seems. You are all I have. What happens if it reaches Camelot, so many would be at risk, so many are at risk."

"If it reaches Camelot then we will do what we always do, we fight. I have to believe that everything will be okay, because if you believe that then somehow, everything will be fine in the end." Merlin looked at her. Ida had become so important to him since she had arrived. She was the one person that he could have no secrets from. Whenever she was near his heart would skip a beat. There was something about her that drew him to her. Like a moth to a flame. He couldn't imagine his life without her somewhere in it. He looked at her, her eyes still troubled and pulled her in to a hug, loving the feel of just being able to hold her, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.

In the comfort of each other's embrace they found themselves forgetting there worries, for that moment, Ida truly believed that everything would truly be fine.


	11. Chapter 11 Home Truths

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

They had been riding since daybreak and still had at least another days ride to go until they reached the border. Ida couldn't work out how the knights did it every week. She was sore all over and was almost constantly tense, half expecting the beast, or Videri as they now knew it to be called, to jump out at them. Just as it was beginning to get dark they stopped to make camp. The knights went to catch something for them to cook leaving Ida and Merlin to prepare the camp and collect firewood.

They talked as they walked. it was a pleasant evening and they both felt safe in each other's presence. Almost unconsciously they reached for each other's hands as they talked. Suddenly they became aware of the silence that surrounded them. The birds seemed to have stopped singing and not a rustle could be heard. It suddenly felt as if there was something watching them but when they turned around there. They continued to gather firewood but they were more on edge and they were searching for any sign of attack. Both of them were well aware that even with their magic if they were ambushed out here then they wouldn't be able to do much to save themselves. They had absolutely no idea how to fight this thing. They were almost defenceless. They felt hot breath on their necks and Ida panicked remembering that just before she had last been attacked she had felt the same thing. Merlin looked at the ground behind them and under his breath muttered forbèarne. Behind them the breathing disappeared and then, they were running, the firewood long forgotten. They could hear the sound of giant paws running behind them, the undergrowth parting, but this time it was further away. The Videri must have found a way around the fire. Ida, remembering what Gaius had said about the Videri only being visible through things muttered _aquiuse_ under her breath and a wall of water shot out of the ground blocking the Videri's way. They turned and in front of them was a bloodcurdling sight. Its body was that of a giant dog but it had razor sharp claws and there were what appeared to be horns protruding from its head. The fur under its chin was matted and covered in bloodstains and its bloodshot eyes bulged out of their sockets. They turned round and began running again, faster this time. They stumbled in to the clearing that they had set up camp in and were going to run straight through it but then Merlin collided with a thump in to a bewildered Prince Arthur.

"What an earth are you two prats doing thundering about the woods like wild animals? It was probably you two who scared the animals away, we barely caught anything." His tone was a mix of incredulous and irritation.

Merlin and Ida had to wait to catch their breath before Ida could muster a reply, "Sire we were attacked, the beast, it's here. We managed to outrun it I think. I don't know how but we did."

Prince Arthur's expression went from semi-amused to serious in a second. "How could it be here, how did it find us?" He was talking to himself now."

One of the nights, tall with sandy shoulder length hair spoke up. "Sire if the beast, whatever it may be is here then it seems like it's moving towards Camelot. It makes sense. First on the edge of Escetia, then the border between the two kingdoms, then just inside Camelot's border and now here only a day's ride from Camelot. Surely it would make sense to head back to Camelot and try to cut the beast off?"

Arthur seemed to consider it for a moment. "Send word to the knights at the border that they need to return to Camelot. We'll have to take our chances and camp here for the night, we can't travel at this time of night and we need rest. We'll turn back in the morning."

(***)

Long after everyone else had succumbed to their sleep Merlin and Ida were still awake sitting by the fire side by side. Neither could get to sleep. Ida was worried about Camelot. She didn't think that the Videri intended to attack Camelot. She couldn't help but think that it could be her that it was following. If it was following her or Merlin for that matter, then they would lead it back to Camelot.

"You're thinking too hard. It's not your fault you know. This thing would have come here whether you had come to Camelot or not. You forewarned us, because of you we had some idea of what to expect."

Ida was about to protest but anything that she might have had to say was cut off by Merlin's lips on hers.

She froze in shock, before her eyes fluttered closed, and then she was kissing him back. In that moment it was as if the rest of the world had melted away and all that was left was the two of them. When the need to breath became too much they broke away and stared at each other, slightly dazed, their breathing ragged.

Merlin was the first to break the slightly awkward silence that had fallen between them. "I'm sorry, I just, I know you probably don't care for me the way I think I've come to care for you. I just, you know forget it, we can forget this kiss ever happened."

Ida froze, and mentally started running through her feelings for Merlin. She cared for him, more than she'd ever cared for anyone. The thought of him filled her with a warm tingly feeling that she had never felt before. Was it love? She didn't know, she couldn't remember ever loving someone before. Was she in love with kind, clumsy, sweet Merlin? And now he wanted to forget the kiss. Did he regret it? They couldn't just brush this off like it never happened. "Why did you kiss me?"

Merlin shuffled awkwardly and took a deep breath. "I just, over the last few weeks I've really enjoyed talking to you about my magic and stuff, I've never had that before and somewhere along the way, I think, we'll I think that I've fallen for you. I know that you will probably never feel the same, and i understand that you just want to be friends."

Ida looked up to meet his eyes. "The thing is I think I do feel the same way."

**A/N Sorry that I haven't written in ages. I wrote this on my iPhone when I was on holiday so I hope it was okay.**


	12. Chapter 12 Attack

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

They all descended warily upon the forest. Everyone was tense, aware that they could be being watched. Merlin and Ida kept muttering _coverae_ under their breaths in an attempt to cover their tracks. They both knew that it wouldn't do much if they were being tracked but they both felt like they had to do something. Things were a bit awkward between them. They both felt that they should just stay friends, at least until the whole debacle with the beast was over.

They all felt the change in the air at the same time. It felt like they were being watched. The hairs on the back of their necks stood up and they could have sworn that they heard a growl from behind the shrubbery. They rode on for a bit, but the knights had almost unconsciously put their hands on their swords and everyone was alert. Then, before they knew it hey saw the bushes flattened in to the ground and sir Gavin disappeared. He reappeared moments later bloodied and mauled, he was obviously dead.

The knights drew their swords and Arthur charged straight at the place where Gavin had disappeared but the Videri just shrugged him off as if he was a toy soldier, taking a chunk out of his side. Knight after knight charged at it but none so much as damaged it as far as they could tell. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and he muttered something under his breath and a tree fell down blocking the way between the knights and the beast. Arthur in a moment of good judgement shouted out RETREAT, RETREAT at the top of his breath.

They all grabbed on too horses and started galloping out of there. They didn't stop for hours not wanting to give the beast anytime too sneak up on them. Although none of the knights wanted to admit it, the beasts shear strength and the ease of which it defended itself had shaken them.

They didn't completely stop riding until they reached Camelot. The tall white towers were a comforting sight and they made them glad to be home. They dismounted and upon Ida's orders everyone who was injured (including Arthur) trooped up too see Gaius. Whilst they were being treated they were alarmed too hear from a messenger that the north gate was being rammed in to by some kind of invisible force.

Arthur jumped to his feet and turned too Gaius. Do you have any way to kill this thing? You must have heard of something like this before.

Gaius looked up from where he was bandaging Arthurs wound. "I believe that to kill it you must merely pierce its heart. But sire, you need to kill it quickly because it will begin to heal immediately and it could be back too full strength in a matter of minutes."

Arthur waited until Gaius had finished before rushing out with a cry of "Merlin with me."

Merlin cast a concerned look at Ida before following Arthur out. Gaius and Ida looked at each other before they started gathering healing supplies.

(***)

Merlin and Arthur ran up the side of the castle. Behind them something hit the wall but when Arthur thrust his sword in the direction that the blow came from, nothing was there. This happened again and again and they were tiring quickly. All that Merlin could do was dodge because he couldn't use magic in front of Arthur. They couldn't see where they were meant to be aiming for.

Merlin stopped, closed his eyes and concentrated on calling out too her. "Ida, Ida we need help, we need to see what we're fighting."

(***)

Ida was sitting at the table in Gaius's quarters. "Ida." She frowned, she must be imagining things. "Ida we need your help we need to see what we're fighting." Ida sprang up and began running towards the top battlements.

She looked down to see Merlin and Arthur fighting off invisible blows. She glanced up at the roof of the castle and saw all of the rain that had gathered from the recent storm. "_Movmentas Aquas_."

(***)

Merlin flinched as a dent appeared in the castle wall just above his head. Arthur received a sharp gash to his side. Just as he felt as if the Videri was just about to go for his killing blow a sheet of water fell down in front of him and Arthur and the beast suddenly became visible. Arthur, although taken aback for a moment grabbed his sword and thrust it in to the creatures heart.

With a yowl of pain the Videri fell to the ground. Its skin started to turn grey and its eyes began to close. Arthur and Merlin both fell to the floor panting, sweat covering their foreheads. They were both exhausted but the nightmare was over.


	13. Chapter 13 Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters.**

Ida was fast asleep in the bed in Merlin and Gaius's box room. They had offered to let her stay the night with them because it was so late when she got back.

She dreamed of a field in the summer, flowers of all colours dotted the landscape and the light from the sunset was bathing everything in a golden glow. She saw a slightly older version of herself and a slightly older version of Merlin laughing together. Merlin started chasing the future her and as he eventually caught her he leaned down and captured her lips with his.

Ida sat up with a gasp. Her hand travelled to her lips and she could swear that she could still feel his lips on hers. A small smile spread across her face.

She crept out of her room, past Gaius to where Merlin was sleeping on his makeshift bed. She pulled back he covers and crept in under them with Merlin. Almost unconsciously Merlin put his arms around her and pressed a kiss too her forehead. All was well.


End file.
